Madison v.s The Travelling Exchange Students

Chapter Seventeen: The Bracelet

"Why are you so sweet?" he asks into my shoulder.

"Dunno. The universe decided you need someone to balance out your grizzly-ness," I reply with a giggle.

"Excuse me? What the hell is that?"

"You are so angry all the time!"

"Am not."

"Am too!"

I feel Alex shake his head. "I think I've gotten my mood under control this year!"

"Please! Jack tried to sit next to you on the bus the other day and you literally kicked him off the seat and told him, 'Don't fucking sit next to me, I want to be alone.' Then when Will tried to play music you grabbed his phone, threw it, and grunted something about how 'Only rejects like this shit.'"

Alex laughs. "Yeah, well, I didn't want to be around people that day and Will's music is shit."

I laugh but I do agree; Will is the kind of person who thinks female rappers are bad.

As comforting silence starts to consume us, I allow myself to close my eyes. The afternoon stretches on and the noise of the park dies down. I wish I could stay here forever with Alex. That way I wouldn't have to see Elias's stupid face again, or Sienna's fake smile or have to worry about another competition.

"Did Sienna ever give you the bracelet I got for you?"

...and I wouldn't have to call my deranged...wait. What did Alex just ask?

I slowly sit and look at Alex with my eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"

"When we were in Brisbane, Will and I went and both picked out stuff for you and Lily. I got you a bracelet," Alex explains. "I knew all the girls were watching a movie together and when I saw Sienna heading to your room I asked her to give it to you."

I glance down at the silver bangle on my wrist. Sienna said Alex told her to hide it in my room for me to find. Something isn't adding up.

"Is this not it?" I ask, holding my wrist up.

Alex takes my arm and looks at the bangle, his features furrowed. "Umm... no. It wasn't a bangle I know you hate those."

I knew something wasn't right.

"Did she give you this one?" Alex asks.

I nod. "Don't worry about it though. She might have just gotten it confused with her own jewelry."

Alex shrugs, appearing to agree with me. The truth is though, I am worried. Sienna is the kind of girl who knows what jewelry is hers. She couldn't have made that mistake. My original suspicions were probably right and Sienna probably tossed Alex's bracelet and when I caught her snooping in my suitcase, she just gave me one of hers as a cover up.

But what was she doing there, to begin with? Maybe trying to find dirt on me to get Alex and I to break up? Whatever it was, I have to find out because Sienna is a nutjob.

"It doesn't matter I'll get you a new one," Alex smiles, leaning up to kiss me. "I promise."

I start kissing him back but my mind never stops worrying about what Sienna was doing in my room that night.

----------------------------------------------

Alex and I snuck through the park about an hour later and dashed back up to his motel room. My plan was a success and luckly we didn't get caught. Hopefully, we won't get dobbed on either.

Alex twists the doorknob and shoves open the so we can sneak inside as quickly as possible. I look around the room, still giddy from my day out with Alex. Bishop is on the floor, eating chips and looking at his phone. Elias is on the bed, with a shirt on this time, reading a book.